Local police in Indonesia on Wednesday confirmed the suspicious deaths of two Chinese tourists in a local hotel, which has drawn wide attention on Chinese social media and sparked speculation over the cause of death.
According to Denpasar Police, the 25-year-old victim Li Chiming beat, tied up and immersed his girlfriend, 22-year-old, Cheng Jianan, in a bathtub at the Jimbaran Intercontinential Hotel, local news outlet NusaBali reported on Wednesday.
Then Li “committed suicide by injuring himself using broken beer bottles on his neck and all over his body,” NusaBali quoted local police chief as saying.
The conclusion of murder and suicide was based on the results of internal and external examinations by a forensic doctor at Prof IGNG Ngoerah Hospital Denpasar and the results of the Bali Police Forensic Laboratory.
The lovers had involved in an argument before arriving at the hotel, they shared five bottles of beer that they ordered from room service, according to investigators.
The police questioned witnesses, both hotel guests and hotel employees, and reviewed CCTV footage, cellphones belonging to the two victims as well as checking the scene of the incident, another local outlet in Indonesian language Bali Tribune reported.
The shocking case was revealed on May 1 when Li, the male, was found naked covered in blood with wounds all over his body, including two major wounds on his neck and left leg. Cheng was found dead lying in the bathtub in their room 4223, naked with strangle marks.
Their belongings were all accounted for and no witnesses or CCTV showed anybody entering room 4223 except the room service person who only stayed very shortly before Li came out of the room for once, according to local police.
The Wednesday police press briefing claimed that Cheng had scratch wounds on her forehead, right shoulder, forearm, lower leg and knees. There are line-shaped scratches on her neck and foam in her nose and mouth, leading to the conclusion that Cheng was badly beaten before dying from drowning in the bathtub.
Li had more than 20 wounds on the neck, left chest, back of both hands, left wrist, back of both feet and allegedly died of loss of blood caused by injuries to his neck.
The investigation results prompted doubt and questioning on Chinese social media as some netizens challenged that Li, if wanted to commit suicide, would not have run into the hotel hallway, which many interpreted as a call for help. People holding a different view said perhaps he injured himself and felt regret before he bled to death.
Other questionable points included the fact that Li sustained a large number of wounds prior to suicide. With others contending that if it was indeed a murder suicide, the two had no reason to be naked; using a piece of glass to commit suicide is painful and is not a typical means of taking one’s life.
Netizens called for more details to be released to further dispel the doubts, including how the victims involved in an argument and proof of the man’s homicide and suicide motivation.
(Global Times)
